1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to agricultural planters and, particularly, to seed tubes for use with an agricultural planter.
2. Description of the Related Art
Agricultural planters, such as agricultural planter 10, shown in FIG. 1, are commonly used in commercial farming operations to rapidly plant seeds in a field. As shown in FIG. 1, agricultural planter 10 includes frame 12 that may be connected to a tractor to advance agricultural planter 10 through the field. Seed reservoir 14, which holds the seeds that are to be planted, is positioned atop and secured to frame 12. Seed meter 16 is secured below seed reservoir 14. Seed meter 16 selects individual seeds, such as seeds 24 of FIG. 4, from seed reservoir 14 and advances the seeds into seed tube 18. The seeds travel through seed tube 18 and, upon exiting seed tube 18, are received in an open furrow in the ground.
In order to create a furrow, agricultural planter 10 includes double disk furrow opener 20, which is mounted to frame 12 and advanced with movement of agricultural planter 10. As double disk furrow opener 20 moves through the field, the rotating discs form a V-shaped seed planting furrow. Seed tube 18 is positioned such that it travels along the center of the newly opened furrow, allowing for a seed that has advanced through seed tube 18 to exit seed tube 18 and fall into the open furrow. With the seed now positioned in the furrow, additional advancement of agricultural planter 10 causes closing wheel 22, which is also mounted to frame 12, to push soil into the furrow created by double disk furrow opener 20 to close the furrow and complete the planting operation.
Referring to FIG. 2, seed tube 18 includes a relatively straight upper portion configured to be positioned adjacent seed meter 16 and a curvilinear lower portion from which the seeds exit seed tube 18 and are received within open furrow 26. The curved configuration of seed tube 18 helps to control the vertical velocity component of the seed as it gravitationally moves toward the exit of the tube and also minimizes or eliminates the horizontal velocity component of the seed as they are discharged into furrow 26. As a result, seeds that pass through seed tube 18 may exit from seed tube 18 with the horizontal velocity component being generally equal to and opposite from the horizontal velocity of agricultural planter 10 over the ground. Additionally, the lower portion of seed tube 18 may, at the exit of seed tube 18, have a rectangular cross-section.
While seed tube 18 compensates for the vertical and horizontal motion of a seed passing through seed tube 18, seeds discharged through seed tube 18 are positioned in furrow 26 in a randomized orientation, such that the seeds may not be in their most desirable positions for receipt within an open furrow upon discharge from seed tube 18. Specifically, referring to FIGS. 4-6, corn seeds 24 having broad and flat sides 28, 30 that have been placed within furrow 26 by seed tube 18 are shown. Seeds 24 are effectively randomly positioned within furrow 26, such that seeds 24 are not consistently placed in any position. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, one of seeds 24 is positioned such that broad sides 28, 30 extend between opposing walls 32, 34 of furrow 26, resulting in the formation of gap 36 between ground 38 and broad side 28 of seed 24. Other seeds 24 are positioned in any of an infinite number of positions in a randomized fashion.